A 27-year-old Hilo man who almost fatally stabbed the mother of his son 2 1/2 years ago and then turned the knife on himself was sentenced Thursday to 20 years in prison.
In a deal with prosecutors, Cyrus Jabilona pleaded guilty on Oct. 2 to attempted manslaughter and domestic abuse of a minor younger than 14. In return for his plea, a charge of attempted second-degree murder — which carries a mandatory sentence of life imprisonment with the possibility of parole — was reduced.
The victim, 27-year-old Cheylee Octavio, was stabbed eight times in the back and leg. She suffered a lacerated kidney, lacerated liver, a fractured rib and thoracic injuries, according to court documents filed by police.
A Hilo Medical Center emergency room physician told police Octavio’s injuries were life-threatening.
Hilo Circuit Judge Henry Nakamoto imposed the maximum sentence Thursday while family members of both Octavio and Jabilona looked on. The presence of nine armed sheriff’s deputies kept emotions in check in the tense, mostly crowded courtroom.
Jabilona had been free on $525,000 bail since shortly after the incident. He wore a black cloth face mask as he sat with his lawyer, Honolulu attorney Michael Green.
Octavio was at Jabilona’s Kimo Street home to retrieve her children when the attack occurred in the early morning of June 10, 2021. According to the documents and Octavio’s family, the stabbing happened in front of Octavio’s daughter, who was 4 at the time, and then-1-year-old son, the latter fathered by Jabilona.
Jabilona then stabbed himself in the chest and arms and was himself hospitalized with injuries, which were not life-threatening.
Deputy Prosecutor Haaheo Kahoohalahala noted in court Thursday that Jabilona will one day be released from prison.
“He’ll be able to return to our community,” she said. “So, while he’s incarcerated, the state urges the defendant to attend whatever classes he is able to get the help that he needs so he will never do this to anyone else.”
Octavio’s mother, Cheryl Octavio, addressed the court and requested that Nakamoto impose “the maximum sentence permissible by law.”
“The incident, in which Cyrus Jabilona repeatedly stabbed Cheylee in the presence of her own children was an act of unspeakable violence that threatened not only her life, but also the emotional well-being of her innocent children,” she said, reading from a prepared text. “A strong and uncompromising sentence for Cyrus Jabilona will send a clear message that acts of violence and endangerment will not be tolerated in our community.”
At one point, Cheryl Octavio — clad in a black T-shirt proclaiming “Real Men Do Not Hit” — turned to the defense table and shouted, “How dare you, Cyrus! Look at me, Cyrus! Take your mask off. You have shown no emotion. You haven’t apologized. You haven’t taken responsibility. Be a real man! Real men do not hit. Real men do not do this to the mother of their children.”
Green turned to the judge and said, “Your Honor, she has the right (to speak). But she should be addressing the court.”
Cheylee Octavio then read a statement from her cellphone, expressing both rage and reflection.
“The morning you took a knife behind my back and stabbed me repeatedly in front of my children — that was the night I was robbed of everything,” she said. “But the reality is, it wasn’t just that night. I was slowly robbed without realizing it. And during years of abuse at your hands, it wasn’t just one decision and it wasn’t just one night. And because of that, I wish nothing but the absolute worst for you.”
The victim then turned to Jabilona’s parents, calling them “the biggest enablers.”
“The day you decided to bail him out of jail is when you lost any and all possibilities of having a relationship with your grandchild,” she said. “I fully understand that you were unable to control his decisions on that night, and it was solely his decision to end my life. But you did have control over things that followed that decision. And you picked a monster over your innocent grandbabies, and that I wish you’d regret. My babies didn’t just lose a dad. They lost half of their family.”
She said that “justice has a different meaning” to her now, and she uses her voice to advocate against domestic violence.
“I hope my case can make an impact in our community and we send a clear message that violence isn’t going to be tolerated,” she said. “Because in this story, nobody truly wins. We all lose something. And honestly, I just hope that this doesn’t have to be anybody else’s story. That we can make changes in our community. Not just for victims. Because someone doesn’t just wake up one night and say, ‘I want to be an abuser.’”
At that point, she turned to her assailant and offered what appeared to be empathy.
“I understand you have so much hurt, so much pain and so much trauma. And you deserve resources, too. We all deserve resources and help,” she said.
Jabilona also spoke, removing the mask before calling the stabbing “the biggest mistake of my life.”
“I understand the hate and anger that you guys have for me,” he said. “You guys have every right to feel how you feel. There’s no excuse for my horrible actions. There’s no reset button in life. I can’t take anything back, and I can’t undo anything. But there is consequences. I’m sorry.”
During sentencing, Nakamoto added his voice to the others calling for Jabilona to seek help while incarcerated. He also expressed admiration for the victim, who has held sign-waving events to heighten community awareness of domestic violence.
“You’re somehow trying to benefit others from this situation,” the judge said.
Email John Burnett at jburnett@hawaiitribune-herald.com.